I taught a college mass communications course for two semesters.
I really enjoyed it. I stopped only because the long drive became untenable when I moved to the mountains.
I did not have a masters or a teaching degree, but the state college had provisions that allowed for instructors who had real-world experience rather than degrees. After 20 years as a journalist, editor, and analyst, I was qualified to teach this English/basic journalism course.
And thanks for this. I definitely did have a listenership and a readership for that stuff, so I hope I didn't come off here as ungrateful for it. But it was small, and it took a ton of time, and it didn't put a roof over our heads. I just had to prune what wasn't working. (Now, if the podcast had taken off and there'd been sponsorships? That would have been another story.)
I'm going to do a writing advice digest newsletter, in order to promote this service: https://authors-ally.com (not launched yet)
I bet you could do something like that for a LOT more per hour than I intend to charge, so it could be worth your while. Plus you'd be talking with people, so it'd be another loneliness cure.
I'm sure I could. Thanks for the idea, but for right now I'm jonesing for the feeling of being in an actual room and getting the hell out of MY OWN room! :)
That's really interesting. Was it a traditional 4-year college? I imagine it varies widely from institution to institution, but right now -- with me knowing very little about any of it -- it's just a giant wall of confusion. Y'know?
It's been 20 years so I had to to go to the website to check: It's the Livermore CA community college, not a state school! And it provides only two-year associates degrees for transfer to a 4yr school.
Thanks for the info! I'm definitely not shitting on community colleges, even though some of my replies might sound that way. It's that I really want "the full Monty of college experiences," like I had at Ohio State, and no community college I've seen has quite that same feel. But no reason I can't work up to it, and class is class!
Yes, the college was very different from my own 4yr university experience. Some older students, commuters, no real student body or school community to speak of. So it'd only be good to try for a semester or two to see if you like teaching enough to get a credential that a 4yr might require.
As mentioned by others, Adjunct Professor is a thing. Community colleges are the best place to start, not the highest pay, but you don't have as much of the stress and politics as 4-year colleges. We all go through seasons and cycles in our lives. If something is that integral to you (teaching), it will likely come around again, though, like you postulated, in a different form. Good luck in whatever your path evolves into. I've enjoyed reading the substack posts, and I'm someone who never heard of you before Substack. So you certainly can gain new audiences, it will just take time.
Thank you, Tiffanie! I'm drowning in terms right now, and in figuring out what's hard-and-fast rules and what's negotiable or different from place to place. I did find "Adjunct Professor," but the official stuff told me that I'd still need degrees. Good to hear there's wiggle room. And from what I hear, "Non-Tenure Guest Lecturer" is even more likely. I'll just start scouting and see what happens.
And thanks for the vote on Substack, too. My guess is that I'll stay here, if for no other reason than the One-Drink Book Club needs a home and Substack is currently it. I might just post less often, but that's okay. Most Substackers are subscribed to a bunch of Substacks, so it's not like anyone will complain if I -- and only I -- post less often.
#1 great fan of your writing! #2 infiltrated the academic world in UK many years ago. From working as a lab tech in a UK university, jumped to a research fellowship without any first or higher degree became Dean of a Faculty of information and social sciences (normally requires advanced degrees etc) the a consultant in distance learning for technical personnel for a Fortune 500 company in the USA. All of which is to say that I know that you can become a credible authority without all the ´right’ boxes checked. Go for it! I think it’s a great idea!
Love this. Thanks, Tony! One thing I did hope for with this post were a few stories like yours. I know that rules are made to be bent. The trick now is to find the right people, in the right places, to make friends with. I'm sure I'll figure it out.
Right here with you, amigo. Not sure what to tell you. I've been writing a DAILY blog for writers since 2014 and only recently started taking subscriptions instead of just donations. And I have only 150-something followers. About 1/3 of them are decicated followers, but still. And you're one hall of a lot more accomplished as a selling writer than I am with my piddly 91 novels and 9 novellas and 230 short stories and zero movie/tv/etc. deals. I personally wish you'd still around, Maybe even check out The New Daily Journal (substack) if you want. But you gotta do you.
I'm sorry -- did you say "piddly 91 novels"? This is a bit off-topic for the post, but that right there is the reason I'm doing the "artisan author thing" more and more. It's bullshit that production at that level is considered small, but it is ... in certain communities. I want to find the readers for whom a book a year still makes sense.
We'll see how it goes. I hope everyone understands that I'm not complaining about interaction so much as I'm weight cost vs. benefit. This has to work for me in the greater context of what I do, is all, as should be true for anyone. I'll keep thinking. There's probably a middle ground. Thanks for the vote of confidence!
Yeah, the "piddly" thing was me being facetious. I write fiction 4 -6 hours every day. The output I mentioned has been in the past 8 years across multiple genres: a 22-volume western saga, a 10-volume SF saga, a 24-novel thriller series, and a shitload of one-offs. Thus far, my primary payment is the enjoyment I get from being the first to hear my characters' stories. Not complaining, but I'd go out of my mind if I was limited to writing one novel per year (or 2 or 4 or 6). It most often takes me no more than three weeks to turn around a 35,000 -50000 word novel. See StoneThreadPublishing.com
I am glad you wrote. I don't have an answer -- I also dip in and out of teaching, uncredentialed but experienced. Each time I'm eager, because I love the interaction with the student (college) and each time I'm happy to quit because I just want to be alone again. So, um... good luck - I hope you find the perfect fit.
Thank you, Jen. You're giving me some accidental hope here, so I need to ask: You dip in and out of teaching, uncredentialed but experienced, at presumably at least one college. Do you mind sharing how you did that? It sounds like exactly the problem I'm trying to solve ... despite you saying you don't have an answer. :)
The first time at the collegiate level, I taught because my friend was teaching and she needed to go out on maternity leave and they needed a long-term-ish replacement who could manage a technical/specialty topic. The application process was not arduous -- "I know you could do this so will you? We don't want to hunt someone else down. Also, I need your resume." So I covered her for 3x/week for about 12 weeks, which was nice -- and also nice because dipping back into it, I just taught her syllabus and wasn't creating from whole cloth. That got me familiar with the college and kind of "in" with a couple of the folks who hire the adjuncts & guest lecturers.
Then the next year the school -- a four year college -- wanted to add a writing class and my friend brought it up to me, we did a pitch for it, and it was accepted, so I did that class (business writing basics) for a semester. But the full semester -- which stretched fall over the holiday breaks -- was a bit much.
The next go round -- a few years later -- was teaching adults in a 10 week seminar, 2x weekly. Writing/copywriting stuff. They were very motivated... almost too motivated, if I'm honest. It took up a lot of time, more than I expected, even if the feedback was good. They wanted coaching on from there, but I wasn't up for that.
More recently, I've been doing the guest appearance thing -- teaching one session/one unit of a class hosted by others. It gets me involved with the class/students a bit, but not as committed, since my obligation period is about a month (prep, teach unit, review assignments & give feedback). That's felt more manageable with the other commitments I have in life right now, and I can recommend it for the social-lite aspects, though definitely not the income side. Even when I did the full classes, it was more of a token "honorarium for your time" thing than any kind of living wage... but then again, writing is my main income, so the teaching is a bonus/something fresh & different.
TL;DR: Befriend adjuncts, offer to guest lecture, and try long-term subbing.
This does help quite a bit, if only to provide some proof that one size doesn't fit all! I think I'm reading the "official version" of how things work in my research, but I'm actually talking to a friend in 20 minutes who I think can give me the real scoop.
For what it's worth, I think you would rock as a college teacher and the students would get so much out of your classes.
Also, totally cool not to post about authorship stuff and just post sporadically when you have something to say or that feels meaningful to you. It's kind of better that way :)
Thanks! And I agree. I have to keep reminding myself that most Substack readers subscribe to MANY Substacks. I'm used to thinking of a 1:1 model where it's only me and them.
I love intern season at my job. I’m constantly reminded by these people who are infinitely curious about aspects of my life my coworkers never ask me about that everything I’ve loved in my life has come back around at some point. Never the way I expected, never the same as before, but always present, always the train tracks that *I* laid out.
Isn't it funny how perspective and context is everything? What's boring to a lot of people is fascinating to others. My son always poo-poo'd his drawing ability, thinking he wasn't very good, until he got out there and saw how exceptional at it he really was. You take for granted what's familiar. I can see why having interns around would be amazing in that way. Thanks for the reply and the overall thumbs-up!
The single greatest harm of our culture's version of masculinity is that society tells us it's wrong to be vulnerable. But the vast majority of us appreciate to it, especially when it's about something nearly everyone can relate to, like loneliness. It is interesting that one of the most universal problems doesn't seem to have good solutions. Thank you for your contribution to the discussion, and here's hoping that we find a solution soon!
Thanks for this! Maybe it's getting older that's doing it to me, but more and more I think I'm seeing through the bullshit that society puts upon us as "true," but it's actually just arbitrary ... and often in direct opposition to the way people actually feel and operate in their day-to-days. Any little thing I can do to perturb that stuff, I guess I'm going to do ...
I definitely missed you! But I assumed it was something I did (I changed the email address on a lot of my substacks and thought maybe I unsubscribed by accident?)
Anyway, I was an adjunct professor back in the day and I enjoyed it. Lotta work, not a lot of pay. Lots of travel too, at the time. The first time you teach a college course it will kill you. The second time it's easier. After that you can go almost on autopilot. ;) I honestly enjoyed entrepreneurship more.
But having my own location where I taught music lessons, I was able to build relationships and friendships that I still have to this day. It's one of the best things I ever did from that standpoint, and I made some money as well. Enough to keep it going for many years. I just never wanted to be a school administrator.
If you can find community organizations like this, it might be super rewarding. Or summer camps or programs like School of Rock for adults. There are probably loads of opportunities like this if you can start finding and tapping into them. I did some community teaching and it was a blast.
Great thoughts here, Leanne. Thank you! My rigidity on this whole thing is relaxing a bit after reading through comments (and a buttload of emails that never made it to comments). I think I can be a lot more flexible in what I have in mind ... even if "the feel of a 4-year college" is still the end goal. Even if that stays true, I can work into it.
I just recently found this Substack. I was a fan back in the day, then got overwhelmed by the sheer output of the Sterling and Stone machine. I am glad I've found you again, love reading your stuff here and am looking forward to more artisan books. I'm also working at writing as a side gig and I have a writer's group that is unique, we mostly just hang out and chill with each other. Anyway, I send you a big dose of Encouragement! Whatever works best for you, I'll be happy to tag along and partake in whatever you wish to share.
lol. This reads a bit like some of my posts on substack. I get to the end and think - what the fuck point am I trying to make here? Glad it happens to badasses too.
Thanks for the post. I've followed many, but not all, and didn't fully realize I hadn't seen on recently until this one popped up. I hope your venture to in person teaching comes to be.
Count me in as another reader who missed you, too.
I'm glad a bunch of adjunct professors have chimed in and shared their experiences. Long, long ago for a Kentucky state university, I taught two semesters of freshman comp as a grad student in the English department. My students were a captive audience only there to get a credit. I don't think that'll be your experience.
That said, I also wanted to chime in about similar options to college. I couldn't help but look at that Austin Bat Cave link and think, "That looks cool." It reminded me of what a great experience I had as a student in a municipal writer's workshop taught at a nearby town's adult continuing ed program. Several of us repeated the course and then became friends thanks to the program. That course was the gateway and the launch pad for what I do now.
So, maybe you'd like to look into a nearby continuing education writing course for adults. Something like the Bat Cave or NYC's 92nd St. Y or the Gotham Writer's Workshop. If anywhere in Texas has something like that, I'm betting it would be Austin. ;) No degree required. I'm not sure about the pay, though.
Also, some libraries have writers-in-residence programs. One of my colleagues in the next state just wrapped up a stint at her local suburban library branch. Again, not sure of the pay.
Thanks so much, Rhonda. A lot of the comments here have me rethinking the firmness of my conviction to "only 4-year schools, immediately" overall. I'll keep noodling and I've gotten a lot of great thoughts from readers on this one to consider. It's going to take me some time to sift through!
I taught a college mass communications course for two semesters.
I really enjoyed it. I stopped only because the long drive became untenable when I moved to the mountains.
I did not have a masters or a teaching degree, but the state college had provisions that allowed for instructors who had real-world experience rather than degrees. After 20 years as a journalist, editor, and analyst, I was qualified to teach this English/basic journalism course.
I would bet you could find a set up like that.
Oh, and I enjoyed your column and podcast, and I DID miss them when you stopped.
But I didn't write as I guessed the reason was much like you said: not something that suited you now.
And thanks for this. I definitely did have a listenership and a readership for that stuff, so I hope I didn't come off here as ungrateful for it. But it was small, and it took a ton of time, and it didn't put a roof over our heads. I just had to prune what wasn't working. (Now, if the podcast had taken off and there'd been sponsorships? That would have been another story.)
I'm going to do a writing advice digest newsletter, in order to promote this service: https://authors-ally.com (not launched yet)
I bet you could do something like that for a LOT more per hour than I intend to charge, so it could be worth your while. Plus you'd be talking with people, so it'd be another loneliness cure.
I'm sure I could. Thanks for the idea, but for right now I'm jonesing for the feeling of being in an actual room and getting the hell out of MY OWN room! :)
Yeah, I can empathize with that!
Definitely give teaching a shot! I really enjoyed it.
That's really interesting. Was it a traditional 4-year college? I imagine it varies widely from institution to institution, but right now -- with me knowing very little about any of it -- it's just a giant wall of confusion. Y'know?
It's been 20 years so I had to to go to the website to check: It's the Livermore CA community college, not a state school! And it provides only two-year associates degrees for transfer to a 4yr school.
Thanks for the info! I'm definitely not shitting on community colleges, even though some of my replies might sound that way. It's that I really want "the full Monty of college experiences," like I had at Ohio State, and no community college I've seen has quite that same feel. But no reason I can't work up to it, and class is class!
Yes, the college was very different from my own 4yr university experience. Some older students, commuters, no real student body or school community to speak of. So it'd only be good to try for a semester or two to see if you like teaching enough to get a credential that a 4yr might require.
As mentioned by others, Adjunct Professor is a thing. Community colleges are the best place to start, not the highest pay, but you don't have as much of the stress and politics as 4-year colleges. We all go through seasons and cycles in our lives. If something is that integral to you (teaching), it will likely come around again, though, like you postulated, in a different form. Good luck in whatever your path evolves into. I've enjoyed reading the substack posts, and I'm someone who never heard of you before Substack. So you certainly can gain new audiences, it will just take time.
Thank you, Tiffanie! I'm drowning in terms right now, and in figuring out what's hard-and-fast rules and what's negotiable or different from place to place. I did find "Adjunct Professor," but the official stuff told me that I'd still need degrees. Good to hear there's wiggle room. And from what I hear, "Non-Tenure Guest Lecturer" is even more likely. I'll just start scouting and see what happens.
And thanks for the vote on Substack, too. My guess is that I'll stay here, if for no other reason than the One-Drink Book Club needs a home and Substack is currently it. I might just post less often, but that's okay. Most Substackers are subscribed to a bunch of Substacks, so it's not like anyone will complain if I -- and only I -- post less often.
Sounds you you have a plan!
Baby steps.
#1 great fan of your writing! #2 infiltrated the academic world in UK many years ago. From working as a lab tech in a UK university, jumped to a research fellowship without any first or higher degree became Dean of a Faculty of information and social sciences (normally requires advanced degrees etc) the a consultant in distance learning for technical personnel for a Fortune 500 company in the USA. All of which is to say that I know that you can become a credible authority without all the ´right’ boxes checked. Go for it! I think it’s a great idea!
Love this. Thanks, Tony! One thing I did hope for with this post were a few stories like yours. I know that rules are made to be bent. The trick now is to find the right people, in the right places, to make friends with. I'm sure I'll figure it out.
Right here with you, amigo. Not sure what to tell you. I've been writing a DAILY blog for writers since 2014 and only recently started taking subscriptions instead of just donations. And I have only 150-something followers. About 1/3 of them are decicated followers, but still. And you're one hall of a lot more accomplished as a selling writer than I am with my piddly 91 novels and 9 novellas and 230 short stories and zero movie/tv/etc. deals. I personally wish you'd still around, Maybe even check out The New Daily Journal (substack) if you want. But you gotta do you.
I'm sorry -- did you say "piddly 91 novels"? This is a bit off-topic for the post, but that right there is the reason I'm doing the "artisan author thing" more and more. It's bullshit that production at that level is considered small, but it is ... in certain communities. I want to find the readers for whom a book a year still makes sense.
We'll see how it goes. I hope everyone understands that I'm not complaining about interaction so much as I'm weight cost vs. benefit. This has to work for me in the greater context of what I do, is all, as should be true for anyone. I'll keep thinking. There's probably a middle ground. Thanks for the vote of confidence!
Yeah, the "piddly" thing was me being facetious. I write fiction 4 -6 hours every day. The output I mentioned has been in the past 8 years across multiple genres: a 22-volume western saga, a 10-volume SF saga, a 24-novel thriller series, and a shitload of one-offs. Thus far, my primary payment is the enjoyment I get from being the first to hear my characters' stories. Not complaining, but I'd go out of my mind if I was limited to writing one novel per year (or 2 or 4 or 6). It most often takes me no more than three weeks to turn around a 35,000 -50000 word novel. See StoneThreadPublishing.com
That's about like me when I'm in full gear (which I'm not right now). It's the publicizing them that's hard. :)
Yes sir. Thanks for engaging. I appreciate that.
I am glad you wrote. I don't have an answer -- I also dip in and out of teaching, uncredentialed but experienced. Each time I'm eager, because I love the interaction with the student (college) and each time I'm happy to quit because I just want to be alone again. So, um... good luck - I hope you find the perfect fit.
Thank you, Jen. You're giving me some accidental hope here, so I need to ask: You dip in and out of teaching, uncredentialed but experienced, at presumably at least one college. Do you mind sharing how you did that? It sounds like exactly the problem I'm trying to solve ... despite you saying you don't have an answer. :)
The first time at the collegiate level, I taught because my friend was teaching and she needed to go out on maternity leave and they needed a long-term-ish replacement who could manage a technical/specialty topic. The application process was not arduous -- "I know you could do this so will you? We don't want to hunt someone else down. Also, I need your resume." So I covered her for 3x/week for about 12 weeks, which was nice -- and also nice because dipping back into it, I just taught her syllabus and wasn't creating from whole cloth. That got me familiar with the college and kind of "in" with a couple of the folks who hire the adjuncts & guest lecturers.
Then the next year the school -- a four year college -- wanted to add a writing class and my friend brought it up to me, we did a pitch for it, and it was accepted, so I did that class (business writing basics) for a semester. But the full semester -- which stretched fall over the holiday breaks -- was a bit much.
The next go round -- a few years later -- was teaching adults in a 10 week seminar, 2x weekly. Writing/copywriting stuff. They were very motivated... almost too motivated, if I'm honest. It took up a lot of time, more than I expected, even if the feedback was good. They wanted coaching on from there, but I wasn't up for that.
More recently, I've been doing the guest appearance thing -- teaching one session/one unit of a class hosted by others. It gets me involved with the class/students a bit, but not as committed, since my obligation period is about a month (prep, teach unit, review assignments & give feedback). That's felt more manageable with the other commitments I have in life right now, and I can recommend it for the social-lite aspects, though definitely not the income side. Even when I did the full classes, it was more of a token "honorarium for your time" thing than any kind of living wage... but then again, writing is my main income, so the teaching is a bonus/something fresh & different.
TL;DR: Befriend adjuncts, offer to guest lecture, and try long-term subbing.
Hope that helps!
This does help quite a bit, if only to provide some proof that one size doesn't fit all! I think I'm reading the "official version" of how things work in my research, but I'm actually talking to a friend in 20 minutes who I think can give me the real scoop.
This info was super helpful. Thank you!
For what it's worth, I think you would rock as a college teacher and the students would get so much out of your classes.
Also, totally cool not to post about authorship stuff and just post sporadically when you have something to say or that feels meaningful to you. It's kind of better that way :)
Thanks! And I agree. I have to keep reminding myself that most Substack readers subscribe to MANY Substacks. I'm used to thinking of a 1:1 model where it's only me and them.
(I think I'd rock, too. :) )
Here's hoping you don't actually close down the substack and that you occasionally come back and tell us how you are doing.
I will in some way for sure, even if it doesn't end up being here. You're on my reader list, right? That's not going ANYWHERE. :)
Glad you wrote it. Glad I read it.
I love intern season at my job. I’m constantly reminded by these people who are infinitely curious about aspects of my life my coworkers never ask me about that everything I’ve loved in my life has come back around at some point. Never the way I expected, never the same as before, but always present, always the train tracks that *I* laid out.
Wild.
You got this, dude.
Isn't it funny how perspective and context is everything? What's boring to a lot of people is fascinating to others. My son always poo-poo'd his drawing ability, thinking he wasn't very good, until he got out there and saw how exceptional at it he really was. You take for granted what's familiar. I can see why having interns around would be amazing in that way. Thanks for the reply and the overall thumbs-up!
The single greatest harm of our culture's version of masculinity is that society tells us it's wrong to be vulnerable. But the vast majority of us appreciate to it, especially when it's about something nearly everyone can relate to, like loneliness. It is interesting that one of the most universal problems doesn't seem to have good solutions. Thank you for your contribution to the discussion, and here's hoping that we find a solution soon!
Thanks for this! Maybe it's getting older that's doing it to me, but more and more I think I'm seeing through the bullshit that society puts upon us as "true," but it's actually just arbitrary ... and often in direct opposition to the way people actually feel and operate in their day-to-days. Any little thing I can do to perturb that stuff, I guess I'm going to do ...
I definitely missed you! But I assumed it was something I did (I changed the email address on a lot of my substacks and thought maybe I unsubscribed by accident?)
Anyway, I was an adjunct professor back in the day and I enjoyed it. Lotta work, not a lot of pay. Lots of travel too, at the time. The first time you teach a college course it will kill you. The second time it's easier. After that you can go almost on autopilot. ;) I honestly enjoyed entrepreneurship more.
But having my own location where I taught music lessons, I was able to build relationships and friendships that I still have to this day. It's one of the best things I ever did from that standpoint, and I made some money as well. Enough to keep it going for many years. I just never wanted to be a school administrator.
Did a quick search and found this today — https://austinbatcave.org/adult-classes/
If you can find community organizations like this, it might be super rewarding. Or summer camps or programs like School of Rock for adults. There are probably loads of opportunities like this if you can start finding and tapping into them. I did some community teaching and it was a blast.
Great thoughts here, Leanne. Thank you! My rigidity on this whole thing is relaxing a bit after reading through comments (and a buttload of emails that never made it to comments). I think I can be a lot more flexible in what I have in mind ... even if "the feel of a 4-year college" is still the end goal. Even if that stays true, I can work into it.
I just recently found this Substack. I was a fan back in the day, then got overwhelmed by the sheer output of the Sterling and Stone machine. I am glad I've found you again, love reading your stuff here and am looking forward to more artisan books. I'm also working at writing as a side gig and I have a writer's group that is unique, we mostly just hang out and chill with each other. Anyway, I send you a big dose of Encouragement! Whatever works best for you, I'll be happy to tag along and partake in whatever you wish to share.
Thanks so much, Jeff! (I assume you're subscribed to my reader email list so that you can hear about those artisan books and stuff?)
Absolutely, joined just a few weeks ago.
Love the post. Like others, I’m glad you didn’t shut the Substack down. If there’s ever a virtual JBT college course then sign me up.
Love that. Thanks, Nate!
lol. This reads a bit like some of my posts on substack. I get to the end and think - what the fuck point am I trying to make here? Glad it happens to badasses too.
Strangely, "WTF am I doing here; I guess I'll just stop writing at this point" seems to work sometimes ...
Thanks for the post. I've followed many, but not all, and didn't fully realize I hadn't seen on recently until this one popped up. I hope your venture to in person teaching comes to be.
That was fun, and also enlightening. Thankyou.
Count me in as another reader who missed you, too.
I'm glad a bunch of adjunct professors have chimed in and shared their experiences. Long, long ago for a Kentucky state university, I taught two semesters of freshman comp as a grad student in the English department. My students were a captive audience only there to get a credit. I don't think that'll be your experience.
That said, I also wanted to chime in about similar options to college. I couldn't help but look at that Austin Bat Cave link and think, "That looks cool." It reminded me of what a great experience I had as a student in a municipal writer's workshop taught at a nearby town's adult continuing ed program. Several of us repeated the course and then became friends thanks to the program. That course was the gateway and the launch pad for what I do now.
So, maybe you'd like to look into a nearby continuing education writing course for adults. Something like the Bat Cave or NYC's 92nd St. Y or the Gotham Writer's Workshop. If anywhere in Texas has something like that, I'm betting it would be Austin. ;) No degree required. I'm not sure about the pay, though.
Also, some libraries have writers-in-residence programs. One of my colleagues in the next state just wrapped up a stint at her local suburban library branch. Again, not sure of the pay.
I hope you find what you're seeking.
Thanks so much, Rhonda. A lot of the comments here have me rethinking the firmness of my conviction to "only 4-year schools, immediately" overall. I'll keep noodling and I've gotten a lot of great thoughts from readers on this one to consider. It's going to take me some time to sift through!